66 deceased persons who have been elected to membership in the Society. Two hundred and four persons have been elected to active membership during the year just past, of whom 175 have paid their membership fee. During the early years the records were not very carefully kept, and it is no uncommon thing to find persons whom the records show to have been elected to membership, and who claim to have paid their fee to some one at some time. The names of many of these, however, never got on to the treasurer's books, and we have thought it best to accept their statements in the absence of any proof of their error. There are many, too, whose names appear upon the records as having been elected to membership who do not even claim to have paid their membership fee. These we have eliminated from the membership roll. Many who have been elected to active membership and have paid their fee have, by their removal from the state, forfeited their claim to active membership in the Society.

The constitution makes it the duty of the Secretary to provide an engraved certificate of membership to be furnished to each life member. This made it necessary that such a certificate should be provided, and as the principal cost is in the engraving, it is recommended that a certificate of membership be furnished to all members of the Society.

FINANCES.

A complete system of financial records has been provided for the Society under the direction of Mr. Horace S. Wiggins. This will enable those in authority to keep a better check upon expenditures, to equalize the expenses of the various departments, and to prevent any overdrafts. It will enable the Board of Directors to have positive knowledge at all times of the exact financial condition of the Society.

The last legislature made an appropriation of $15,000 for the work of the Society for the biennium. This was an increase of $2,500 over the appropriation of the last biennium. In addition to this there was also appropriated $25,000 for a

building fund, contingent upon a site being donated by the city of Lincoln. This latter appropriation will lapse August 1, 1909.

Of the general appropriation of 1907, there has been expended from April 1, 1907, to January 1, 1908, a total of $4,864.83, leaving a balance of $10,135.17 for the remaining fifteen months of the biennium.

To obtain the amount of the actual expense of the year there should be deducted from the total expenditures, as shown in the following statement, the sum of $462.46, the amount of indebtedness against the Historical Society due and unpaid on January 1, 1907.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

Cash in hands of Treasurer, January

1, 1907 Balance of 1905 general appropria

.$ 228 79

tion unexpended January 1, 1907.. ́1,276 56 Appropriation 1907, available April

tutional conventions, unex

pended January 1, 1907......$ 2,500 00

Amount paid for printing and bind

I hereby certify that I have examined the records, vouchers, and books of accounts of the Nebraska State Historical Society for the year ending December 31, 1907, and from the same have compiled the above financial statement, and that the same is correct.

December 31, 1907.

H. S. WIGGINS,

Public Accountant.

Note. The item "Historical Society $1,288.99" includes charges not properly chargeable to some particular department of the Historical Society. The item "Legislative Reference Bureau $2,577.98" includes salaries of A. E. Sheldon and W. E. Hannan, although their time has not been devoted exclusively to that department. The item "Library $1,104.28" includes the amount paid to an expert librarian for the cataloguing and indexing of books and pamphlets contained in the library, also the salary of the Librarian.

EXECUTIVE BOARD.

Your Executive Board has held four regular meetings, and one special meeting during the year. Each meeting has been held at the appointed time, with a quorum present for the transaction of business. Your Secretary has had the most cordial cooperation of the Board and its officers in everything undertaken for the good of the Society. The promptness and business-like methods of your Treasurer have been very helpful to the Secretary in his work. In this connection it is recommended that the constitution be so amended as to relieve the Treasurer of the duty of collecting membership fees, which no treasurer can undertake to do without sufficient compensation. It should be the duty of the Secretary to collect these fees and turn them over to the Treasurer, taking his receipt therefor.

A large part of the work of the Historical Society, such as the management of its business affairs, the disposal of its correspondence, the orderly direction of the work in the various departments, the entertainment of visitors, the examination of catalogues, and the purchase of books, and the daily care of rooms and collections, can not be measured in words. These things, of the first importance in the right conduct of any such institution, could easily occupy the whole time and thought of one person, and to these duties your Secretary has given his personal attention.

Respectfully submitted,

CLARENCE S. PAINE,

Secretary.

Adopted January 14, 1908.

TREASURER'S REPORT.

FOR YEAR ENDING JANUARY 1, 1908.

To the Officers and Members of the Nebraska State Historical Society:

I hereby respectfully submit my report as Treasurer for the year ending January 1, 1908.

I am to be charged with the receipts and disbursements shown in detail on the schedule hereunto annexed, as follows:

and sundries as per schedule since said. date ..

284 50

Total receipts

$513 29

DISBURSEMENTS.

1907

Cash paid on warrants as per schedule hereunto annexed and accompanying vouchers

Balance in National Bank of Commerce per check herewith

$238 35

274 94

I submit herewith bank book duly balanced, and vouchers, and check to the order of the Society for the balance on hand. Dated this 1st day of January, 1908.

S. L. GEISTHARDT,

Adopted January 14, 1908.

Treasurer.